1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a seat assembly, and more particularly, to a reversible seat assembly for an automotive vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Automotive vehicles, such as sport utility vehicles, full-size vans, and mini-vans commonly include front and rear driver side and passenger side seat assemblies for supporting occupants within the vehicle. These seat assemblies may include one or more bucket-type seat assemblies, elongated bench-type seat assemblies, or a combination of each, aligned in one or more rows within an interior compartment of the vehicle.
Each seat assembly typically includes a generally horizontal seat cushion and a generally vertical or upright seat back coupled to the seat cushion for supporting the seat occupant in an upright seating position above a floor of the vehicle. The seat back is commonly pivotally coupled to the seat cushion by a recliner mechanism for providing pivotal movement of the seat back relative to the seat cushion between a plurality of reclined seating positions. The seat back may also pivot forwardly to a folded flat, or dumped, position lying flat against the seat cushion for providing additional storage space within the interior compartment of the vehicle or to allow easy access behind the seat assembly.
It is well known in the vehicle seating art to provide rear seat assemblies mounted to the floor of the vehicle by a swivel pedestal for allowing the seat assembly to swivel, or rotate, about its vertical axis from a conventional forward-facing configuration to a rearward-facing configuration. For example, the vehicle may include both a second and third row of seat assemblies behind the front driver and passenger seat assemblies wherein the second row of seat assemblies are rotatable from the conventional forward-facing position to a rearward-facing position, facing toward the third row of seat assemblies. Alternatively, the third row of seat assemblies may be rotatable from the conventional forward-facing position to the rearward-facing position, facing toward the rear of the vehicle in what is commonly referred to as the tailgating position.
It remains desirable to provide a walk-over or reversible seat assembly wherein the seat back is positionable, or reversible, between forward and rearward-facing seating positions, and is operatively coupled to the seat cushion for pivoting the seat cushion between first and second inclined positions. It is also desirable to provide a reversible seat assembly including a single latch assembly for securing the seat assembly in each of the forward and rearward-facing seating positions. It is also desirable to provide a reversible seat assembly including a seat belt buckle that is automatically positioned relative to the seat assembly in both the forward and rearward-facing seating positions. It is also desirable to provide a reversible seat assembly including a head restraint that automatically pivots to a dumped position to avoid a headliner of the vehicle when moving the seat assembly between the forward and rearward-facing seating positions.